Method and means for making sliding fasteners



Jan. 24, 1939. B. R EITER 2,144,638

. METHOD AND MEANS FOR MAKING SLIDING FASTENERS Filed Feb. 25, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY.

INVENTOR. .Si'iruno rstezl'er Jan. 24, 1939.. f B. REITEDR I 2,144,638 METHOD AND MEANS FOR MAKING SLIDING FASTENERS I Filed Feb. 25, 1955 2 shets-sheet 2 P members of the sliding fastener.

Patented Jan. 24, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Ingenium Aktiengeselischaft, Chur, Switzerland Application February 25, 1935, Serial No. 8,116

8 Claims.

My invention relates to a method and means for making slide fasteners, in which a plurality of interlocking members, hereinafter called fastener members, are provided on the edges of two tapes or other. supporting means and which are engaged or disengaged in each other by means of a sliding member.

According to my invention, the fastener members are applied mechanically one after the other to the tapes, which move continuously, preferably by means of toothed wheels touching each other, of which the width of the teeth corresponds to the distance between the fastener Each wheel may possess a groove on its circumference which may engage the"'thickened .edge of the tapes which pass between the same. While rotating, the toothed wheels press the arms of the few-- tener members onto the tape, the fastener members being preferably fed for mounting onto the tape by the toothed wheels, from a magazine or the like, which discharges successive teeth carried one above the other, onto the upper surfaces of the teeth of the wheels as they rotate and thence into the'spaces or pockets between and defined by opposing sets of. adjacent teeth.

These and other advantages, capabilities and features of the invention will-appear from the subjoined detailed description of one specific embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a schematic plan viewrof the device seen from above.

Figure 2 shows the device for assembling the members on the tapes seen from the direction of movementof the tapes.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a detail of operation of the fastener member feeding device disclosed in Figure 2.

Referring to the reference characters in the drawings, tapes 3 and 4, having beaded edges B are delivered along a vertical plane between two pairs of the sets of wheels 5 and 6 rotating in the same plane and about vertical axes in the same plane, the wheels of. each set or pair being rotated in opposite directions, through the meshing of the teeth T of one wheel of each set or pair with gears ll, one of which isfdriven by bevel gear ll actuated by drive wheel l5.

Each of the wheels in the sets or pairs 5 and 6 is provided on its periphery with teeth T, to form gear-like devices which do not mesh with one another, the cooperating teeth of-the respective Wheels of the sets being situated exactly opposite to each other, thus providing spaces C of vary- Germany March 5, 1934 ing width, defined by the respective opposing teeth; the width of the spaces being gradually decreased and increased as any pre-determined opposing teeth of one of the sets of wheels approach' or pass the center or axis line of the wheels, at which point such teeth are at their closest proximity.

The'wheels of the sets 5 and 6 have peripheral grooves G out along the teeth T thereof to engage and guide the tapes 3 and 4 in their movement.

Adjacent and above the toothed wheel sets 5 and 6 there are disposed at a position or station in advance of the center or axis-line thereof and between the same, feed devices shown in detail in Figure 2, from the guides of which are discharged fastener members I and 8 of the standard bifurcated arm configuration.

In Figure 2 a container 41 is filled with fastener members already made. The members drop from this container into a measuring vessel 48, which fills the cylinders 49 and 50 equably for sorting the members. The measuring vessel 48 is intended to prevent the continuous falling of fastener members from the container 41 into the.

containers 49 and 50, The members issuing from the container 41 are caught by the vessel 48. When a certain weight is reached by the members in the vessel 48, it turns over from the position in the'figure indicated by complete lines, to the position shown by dotted lines. The members collected in this vessel are then dropped into a guide and divided approximately equally into the vessels 49 and 50.

The measuring vessel 48 is not essential. To efiect the equable filling of the containers 49 and 50, several other methods are available. For example, it is possible to provide a special vessel 41 for each of the vessels 49 and 50, together with corresponding guides.

The cylinders 49 and 50 possess bent guide rails 5| and 52, which are separated from the back wall of the cylinders by a distance corresponding to the thickness of the members. The members, dropping on to the guide rails with their projections facing the. rails, are arrested by the rails at their projections and slide along the edge of. the rails. At the points 53 and 54 they fall through an opening in the wall of the cylinder and move'along guides 55 and 56 until they reach the vertical guides 5'! and 58. The members inside the cylinders are continuously moved by bucket wheels 59 and 60. The shape of these bucket wheels, and their position near the rails, are such that all the members ,not arrested are moved by the bucket wheels.

In the vertical guides 51 and 58 a large number of sorted members is continuously being piled. The precise mechanism for sorting and correctly orientating the fastener members so that they are correctly stacked one above the other in the guides 51 and 58 may be any one of the conventional mechanisms illustrated in' British Patent No. 372,108 dated May 5, 1932, or United States Patent No. 1,903,659.

As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the fastener members 1 and 8, which are disposed one above the other in the vertical guides 51 and 58 of the feed device are caused to successively be discharged for mounting on the respective tapes 3 and 4 in the following manner: since the fastener members are disposed one above the other in the guides there is a pressure against the lowermost of each of the fastener members, causing the same to move towards the wheels 5 and 6 and into the spaces or pockets C defined .by opposing sets of adjacent teeth T thereon.

As shown in Figure 3, the lower-most fastener of the series carried in the guides 51 and. 58 rests against the upper surface S of opposing teeth, under pressure of the fastener members above the same and gravity, and as the wheels rotate about their axes in thedirection of the arrow, the fastener member slides in its position of rest on such surfaces with respect to the moving opposing wheels, until the edges of such teeth pass the same, at which time the lower-most fastener members drop into the space or pocket C defined by opposing pairs of adjacent teeth T, the arms A of the fastener members serving to straddle the bead or edge B of the tapes.

Since the feed device is disposed at a position or station in advance of the center or axisline of the wheels 5 and 6, the space or pocket C into which the member drops gradually decreases in width as the adjacent pairs of teeth defining the respective halves of the space or pocket approach each other, with the result that a gradually increasing lateral pressure is exerted against the arms of the fastener members, to effectuate a clamping of the same to the bead or edge of the tape, the aforesaid pressure to effect the clamping being continued until the teeth defining the spaces or pockets pass the center or axis-line of the wheels.

Upon discharge of the fastener members into straddling relationship over the head of the tape at the feed station, a tamping or pressure effect is applied to the heads of the fastener members through the medium of a spring or like elements disposed adjacent the feed station, so as to position the fastener member at its proper depth on the tape, prior to the clamping of the arms of the same to the tape by the walls of the pockets defined between the respective pairs of opposing teeth as the wheels approach the center or axis-line.

The measuring of the length of the sliding fastener is effected by regulating the number of fastener members 1 and 8 necessary for its length. This regulating device controls the feeding of fastener members by thevertical guides 51 and 58. When a certain number of fastener members has left the guides, the latter are closed by the regulating device and opened again when the last member on the tape has reached a certaindistance. The closing and opening of th guides may be effected by a pin, which may be moved at right angles to the guide and which prevents the last member but one from the end from dropping. The movement of the pin may be effected, for example, electrically by a. spring and a wire coil, through which an electric current flows.

Although a feed device of a particular type has been here shown, it is within the province of this invention to vary the structural features of the same, so long as there is provided a medium for delivering under pressure a series of fastener members which in succession rest or slide against a surface of the teeth of non-meshing gear wheels and then are pressed into the space or pocket defined by adjacent pairs of opposing teeth to straddle the tape passed therebetween and to be clamped by the relative movement towards one another of the end walls defining the space or pockets of the wheels as they approach the center or axis-line thereof.

Although a spring or like mechanism has been specified as acting on the heads of the fastener members as the same pass into the space or pockets defined by opposing pairs of adjacent teeth, it is within the province of this invention to provide for any pressing ortamping member serving to act on the head of the fastener member or any portion thereof subsequent to or simultaneously with the straddling of the tape by the fastener member, so as to position the fastener member at its proper depth upon the tape, prior to the clamping thereof by the action of the toothed wheels as indicated.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made to the details of construction without departing from the general spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Means for making sliding-clasp fasteners, comprising a pair of toothed wheels, means for rotating said wheels in opposite directions a round vertical axes, the teeth of one of said wheels opposing the teeth of the other of said wheels whereby each two opposing pairs of teeth successively define a space between them as said wheels are advanced, the width of each of said teeth corresponding to the distance between the fastener members of the fastener to be manufactured, means for feeding a tape continuously between said wheels, means for feeding fastener members one at a time successively into the successive spaces formed between said teeth while said wheels and tape are advanced, whereby said fastener members successively straddle the tape in their correct positions and are successively clamped by said teeth to said tape, said feeding means for fastener members comprising a vertical guide allotted to said pair of wheels and arranged symmetrically to the axes of the said pair of wheels and in advance of the opposing point of said wheels whereby the fastener members are fed to said wheels under their own weight. w

2. In a method for making slide clasp fasteners, the steps of which comprise continuously rotating a pair of toothed wheels in opposite directions, driving a tape continuously by and between said wheels, the teeth of one wheel opposing the teeth of the other wheel, whereby each two opposing pairs of teeth successively define therebetween a space of constant length and varying width as the wheels are advanced, delivering fastener elements to the surface of the wheels at a station in advance of that where the pairs of teeth of the wheels attain their closest relationship and maintaining the fastener elements under pressure so that successively they slide on the respective opposing teeth of the wheels opposite the delivery station and are pressed in straddling relationship onto the tape in the successive spaces between the opposing pairs of teeth opposite said delivery station, and progressively clampingthe successive fastener members to said tape as the opposing pairs of teeth approach and attain their closest position.

3. In a method for making slide clasp fasteners, the steps which comprise continuously rotating a pair of toothed wheels in opposite directions on vertical axes, driving a tape continuously by and between said wheels, the teeth of the respective wheels opposing each other, whereby each two opposing pairs of teethsuccessively define therebetween a space of varying distance as the wheels are advanced, continuously feedin fastener elements downwardly under pressure towards the upper surface of said toothed wheels, whereby successive fastener elements rest against successively opposing teeth of said wheels and are projected into the successive spaces between the teeth under pressure to straddle the tape as the wheels advance, said fastener elements bein mounted on the tape in the spaces before the pairs of teeth defining the same reach their closest position, said wheels in their movement serving successively to clamp the fastener members to said tape by pressure contact ofthe surfaces between the respective opposing teeth against the fastener members on the tape as the pairs of teeth of the wheels approach and attain their closest relationship.

4. Means for making sliding clasp fasteners, comprising a pair of toothed wheels, means for rotating said wheels in opposite directions, the teeth of one of said wheels opposing the teeth of the other of said wheels, whereby each two opposing pairs of teeth successively define a space between them where said wheels are advanced,

the width of each of said teeth corresponding to the distance between the fastener members of the fastener to be manufactured, means for feeding a tape continuously between said wheels, means for feeding fastener members successively onto the surface of the Wheels against which they slide and into successive spaces formed between said teeth to straddle said tape disposed therebetween, as the wheels and tape are advanced, whereby said fastener elements are progressively clamped by said teeth to said tape as the teeth advance towards their closest position.

5. Means for making sliding clasp fasteners, comprising a pair of toothed wheels, means for rotating said wheels in opposite directions, the teeth of one of said wheels opposing the teeth of the other of said wheels, whereby each two opposing pairs of teeth successively define a space between them where said wheels are advanced, the width of each of said teeth corresponding to the distance between the fastener members of the fastener to be manufactured, means for feeding a tape continuously between said wheels, means for feeding fastener. members successively onto the surface of the wheels against which they slide and into successive spaces formed between sald teeth to. straddle said tape disposed therebetween, as the wheels and tape are adrotating said wheels in opposite directions, the

teeth of one of said wheels opposing the teeth of the other of said wheels, whereby each two opposing pairs of teeth successively define a space between them as the wheels are advanced, the width of each of said teeth corresponding to the distance between the fastener members of the fastener member to be manufactured, means for feeding fastener members under pressure suc- 1 cessively onto the surface of the wheels, successive fastener members being adapted to slide against successive teeth of the wheels and to be pressed, onto the tape in the successive spaces formed between said teeth, as the said wheel and tape are advanced, said fastener members being progressively clamped to the tape as the teeth approach and attain their closest relationship.

7. Means for making slide clasp fasteners, comprising a pair of toothed wheels, means for rotating said wheels in opposite directions, the teeth of one of said wheels opposing the teeth of the other of said wheels, whereby each two opposing pairs of teeth successively define a space between them as the wheels are advanced, the width of each of said teeth corresponding to the distance between the fastener members of the fastener member to be manufactured, means for feeding fastener members under pressure successively onto the surface of the wheels, successive fastener members being adapted to slide against successive teeth of the wheels and to be pressed onto the tape in the successive spaces formed between said teeth, as the said wheel and tape are advanced, said'fastener members being progressively clamped to the tape as the teeth approach and attain their closest relationship, said feeding means for the fastener members comprising a guide allotted to said pair of wheels and arranged symmetrically to the axes of said pair of wheels, and in advance of the position where the teeth of the wheels are in their closest relationship.

8. In a method for making slide clasp fasteners, the steps comprising continuously driving a tape by and between a rotating pair of opposing non-meshing toothed wheels, continuously feeding fastener elements under pressure towards the lateral surfaces of said toothed Wheels, so that successive fastener elements slide against successive opposing teeth of the said wheels and are successively pressed onto the tape within the spaces defined between the teeth of the rotating wheels, and successively clamping the fastener elements onto the tape within the aforesaid spaces.

BRUNO anrrna. 

